Wisconsin Department of Children and Families - Division of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Early Care Regulation
Child Care Background Check Procedures
Wis. Stat. § 48.686(2)(ag)(3) grants BECR authority to charge fees that do not exceed the actual cost of conducting the criminal background check fee. After the initial fingerprint background checks are completed, the licensee or operator will be invoiced by DCF for any annual background checks conducted. The cost of a name-based DOJ check is currently $10 per individual. Annual background check fees are invoiced quarterly and are paid by providers via checks submitted to the CBU or an e-payment online through the Child Care Provider Portal.
Pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 48.66(5), a licensee or certified operator who has applied for continuance of a two-year regular license or recertification must pay any and all outstanding fees assessed by the department including the annual DOJ/IBIS name-based background checks before the license may be continued or recertification granted, unless the provider has entered into an installment agreement or the provider has filed for bankruptcy protection.
For those closed providers with unpaid fees remaining after receiving a past due letter, BECR may refer these providers to the Bureau of Finance for collection purposes. The following criteria must be met before a referral is made to the Bureau of Finance:
The outstanding balance has been past due for 90 days, with no active negotiations or payment plans in place, and
The provider is unregulated, and
The balance owed is at least $50.
This page last updated 04/2021.